The Heatherpaw Vignettes/Jumping and Rolling and Other Crucial Stuff

This is the fourth vignette in The Heatherpaw Vignettes series of short stories. It was written on the 13th of March, 2008. This features Heatherpaw and Gingerfur. It takes place on the 4th day of the Moon of Tiger's Wrath (2006).

Featuring

Heatherpaw

Gingerfur

Notes

Written March 13th, 2008

This was the first vignette to be written out of order. Chronologically, it is fourth, but it was the sixth written in the series.

Jumping and Rolling and Other Crucial Stuff

If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over? - John Wooden

Heatherpaw focused, watching Gingerfur carefully. Timing it right, she sprung up from the ground, wiped clean of snow, aiming for Gingerfur. Thinking she got it right, he slipped out of her reach, and she slammed into the dirt, rolling to the side and into a bramble bush.

Mouse dung! She spat into the dust, slowly getting up and shaking the dust and debris out her pelt. She just couldn’t master that move! How was she going to fight in the many battles of the war – even if it looked like it was ending – if she couldn’t master a leap? She scored her claws through the dirt in her frustration.

Gingerfur looked at her from his position, ready to be leapt at again. “Heatherpaw,” he called, “what are you doing? Come over and try it again.”

“I can’t do it,” she muttered, looking away. This was so frustrating... how could he expect her to fall once again? To roll in the dirt and be humiliated?

“What did you say?” asked her mentor, his green eyes hard.

“I can’t do it!” the silver apprentice cried out.

Gingerfur padded towards her, no sympathy in his eyes. “Do you want to be a warrior, Heatherpaw?”

She stared back at him, daring to be defiant.

“Now, do you?”

He was intimidating, that was true. Still a young cat – he’d only been 23 moons old when he got Heatherpaw as an apprentice – but he had the benefit of his size and his glare.

“Yes, Gingerfur.”

“Then you will master this move! Try again.” He padded back to his position. Heatherpaw grudgingly followed, crouching down, planning her move.

One, two, three tries, and Heatherpaw failed all three times. All attempts to jump on his back and get some control failed miserably, sending her spiraling into the dirt. But each time she got up, ready to show him she wanted to be a warrior.

Maybe… maybe I shouldn’t aim for his back, Heatherpaw thought, thinking of the move he was doing. He’s prepared for me to jump on his back but he reveals a bit of his stomach in the process… maybe I could get it? If I can’t get his back like others can, then I’ll try this.

She crouched down again, watching him, and leapt. He dodged and rolled, and she missed her mark by a little more than a hair. But she wasn’t sent to the dirt. Standing up, she returned back to her spot, in position before he was back.

“Hey, that was a good one, Heatherpaw. Are you trying something new –”

Heatherpaw leapt, and he cut off, rolling off to the side. She aimed perfectly, landing on his chest, paws gripping his fur. She crowed in excitement and nipped at his neck before he shook her off.

“Very good, Heatherpaw! You saw my weakness and you exploited it. Like a real warrior would. Now, let’s see your drop and roll. You don’t want to have such a crucial weakness to the neck and stomach in battle.”

Heatherpaw sat up, beaming, and prepared to show him her roll.